Ireland's "Greatest" Ever Sportstar

10. Paul McGrath
9. Vincent O'Brien
8. Christy Ring
7. Sonia O'Sullivan
6. Sean Kelly
5. Roy Keane
4. George Best
3. Joey Dunlop
2. Brian O'Driscoll
1. Padraig Harrington


As they say paper never refuses ink, load of shite of ya ask me, about 4 should be there, 2 wouldn't even associate themselves as Irish and the No.1 sport in Ireland gets 1 representative..................... rubbish!!!!!!!!!!

BTW Brian O'Driscoll is my No.1!!

He'd be mine too. But i have a feeling this was a repeat programme and was done by public vote just after Harrington had won one of the Majors, so he was very much in the public eye at the time. I don't think the public should vote on something like that. And I think Dermot Earley Snr should have been there. Or maybe that's just me sentimental

Is this not quite an old list, I remember a very similar one last year or the year before that.

Anyway Harrington is a worthy number one. Golf is world wide sport and one of the hardest to master. Rugby as much as I like it is only played by a few nations.
O'Driscoll is again in the right spot.

The rest are interchangeable apart from Keane who should have been charged with abandoning his country.

JME wrote:

Is this not quite an old list, I remember a very similar one last year or the year before that.

Anyway Harrington is a worthy number one. Golf is world wide sport and one of the hardest to master. Rugby as much as I like it is only played by a few nations.
O'Driscoll is again in the right spot.

The rest are interchangeable apart from Keane who should have been charged with abandoning his country.

yes as I said above this list was done shortly after Padraig had won a major. But if it was done now would he be number one?? I don't think so.

He would no doubt about it.

We'll agree to disagree

rory mcllory tony mc coy johnny murtagh i say would on list now

Rory has won nothing of note fone, could have got a big one last night but just came up short.

Just seen it on RTE 1 didn't know it was a repeat. Wouldn't have Joey Dunlop, Geroge Best & Paul McGrath on it.

Harrington is consistantly inconsistant and would probably be my no.10 just. He's a disaster come Ryder Cup time and wouldn't be my Irish golf No. 1.

Where were the Olympic Gold Medalists (Ronnie Delaney ffs), Tour de France Winner, Mick O'Connell, Henry Shefflin, Wee Barry...................

I was watching it on tv and I don't know who they asked to choose the top sportsmen but I would have went for.

1 Brian O'Driscoll
2 Vincent O'Brien
3 Padraig Harrington
4 Sonia O'Sullivan
5 Sean Kelly

Sports people who have proved themselves to be in the top tier on a world stage. In our national games I would have went for Mikey Sheehy in the football and in the hurling either Christy Ring from what my father and older people have told me or from what i have seen myself Henry Shefflin.

Harrington possibly is worthy of a top 10 spot but not the greatest ever Irish sportsman.

As stone cold said you can depend on him to be inconsistent.
To be a great sportsman you have to be great for a length of time
, Harrington had a good couple of years where he won a few majors when the world number one was absent.
He never reached world number one or the top of the pile in his chosen sport.

He is a great sportsman, no doubt. Bit not the greatest.

stephen roche barry mc guigan john treacy eamonn coghlan

I stand by Harrington as the facts speak for themselves.

Back to back open winner 2007 and 2008. First ever from the Republic and the first for 60 years from the Island of Ireland. First European since 1906 to retain the trophy.

First Europen to win the USPGA title for 78 years. 15 Euopean wins, 5 PGA wins, 1 Japanese win, Order of merit winner 2006, European tour player of the year 2007, 2008, US PGA player of the year 2008 and US PGA Tour player of the year 2008.

Has played in Walker cups and Ryder cups, 1995 Irish Amateur Open Championship, Irish Amateur Close Championship won the Irish PGA title six times and the Target World Challenge.

All over a career from 1995. No other Irish sports man comes close in a World sport.

Brian O'Driscoll is regarded by his peers to be the best centre in the World over the last 6 to 8 years. Padraig Harrington will never have that recognition, ever, lucky to be in the top 5 in the world.

O'Driscoll is the best center playing in a minority sport and many say McCaw is better all round player.
He is also part of a team not an individual where everyhting is on your own shoulders.

JME wrote:

O'Driscoll is the best center playing in a minority sport and many say McCaw is better all round player.
He is also part of a team not an individual where everyhting is on your own shoulders.

Jaysus man, O'Driscoll made it happen time & time again for both Ireland & Leinster, at times he pulled those teams through matches through pure skill and determination. He did and does things some people only dream of. If he was an All Black McCaw wouldn't lace his booths and I don't know how u can compare players that play 2 totally different positions & roles in a game of rugby.

Harrington when he is worthy to be talked about in the same tone as Mickleson & Woods then come back to me. Hell Woods took 6 months away from the game and he's still No. 1. Harrington is nothing spectacular in the golfing world. Even McIlroy is more consistant than him.

Oh dear God you must be smoking something. Jaysus SC have you not watched rugby over the last decade. Ritchie McCaw is the most consistent and influencial player out there.To say he wouldn't lace BOD's boots makes your argument invalid.

Mickleson has won four majors Harrington three they are well matched.
Woods is only Second to Nicklaus who would be in the top 5 all time World sports stars and thus is so far out side the norm you cannot compare him, he is a once in a lifetime player.

Rugby is played by Ireland, France, England, Wales, Scotland, Italy, South Africa, Australia, New Zealand and Argentina. All other nations would be beat by a Leinster second team.

Bod is a great player but he is not on the same level as Harrington on a World level.

Hell even Mike Gibson or Jack Kyle are alternatives to best Irish Rugby player.

You'll not convince me.

JME wrote:

Oh dear God you must be smoking something. Jaysus SC have you not watched rugby over the last decade. Ritchie McCaw is the most consistent and influencial player out there.To say he wouldn't lace BOD's boots makes your argument invalid.

I regularly follow the game McCaw plays with 14 other world class players, O'Driscoll maybe 3 to 4 tops and that is the difference. O'Driscoll proves himself time & time again playing against the best with a slightly above average squad. He does things backs shouldn't do both in the tackle and in attack. McCaw plays a totally different game and some say he "cheats" regularly, slowing the ball, killing fast ball, operating offside regularly (why u think Heaslip lost it and got sent off). Is McCaw the best openside out there, dunno..... Berger might have soemthing to say about it and he is a world champ.........Swap McCaw to Ireland and would he stand out? Would he single handedly pull teams through matches? Imagine O'Driscoll playing with the All Blacks.......... McCaw got world player of the year 2009 for winning nothing and robbed O'Driscoll.

But lets agree to disagree

Okey Doke.

MV O'Brien for me.

No one else on that list could truly claim to have revolutionised their sport and be the best in the world ever. O'Brien simply had no peers.

Hmm very tough one to call, you are comparing not only different positions, but different sports and most importantly how do you compare GAA sports versus international sports?

For me the top three exports (if we can call our international sports stars that) would be in order:

Harrington
O Driscoll
MV O Brien.

JME wrote:

Rory has won nothing of note fone, could have got a big one last night but just came up short.

What about the Quail Hollow Championship and a purse of $1.2 million or so.....

Also I dont think the comparison between BOD and McCaw is totally fair, its easier for McCaw to influence the game as he is consistently in the mix by playing in the forwards, BOD's brilliance is that he can change the outcome of a game with much less possession and less time on the ball...McCaw - best forward in the world, BOD - best back in the world....

I wouldnt have a horse trainer in a list of "sportsmen". Would have Mick Kinane or Johnny Murtagh in the list ahead of a trainer. The physical and mental attributes those guys have make them truer sportsmen than a trainer. Sure why not put Jack CHarlton or Mick O'Dwyer on the list. Silly.

Harrington and O'Driscoll deserves to be in there alright and so does Keane despite Saipan. As much as I love Paul McGrath no way should he be in the top ten.

Stephen Roche probably got shunned because of the drugs allegations but his achievement was probably greater than most. Sean Kelly does deserve to be there. He was consistently at the top of his game over a long period.

The Christy ring thing is probably based on nostalgia and sentimentality. How many modern day people actually saw him play. Maybe Sheflin will make that list in 10 years time.

These lists are just there for debate and they work.

Trying to compare the brilliance of a sportsman in a team (like BOD) to an individual sport is fairly pointless lads. You just can't do it.

Kickingking made a good point about Vincent O'Brien- no-one else on the list can claim to have changed their sport forever. Yet Sam's point is equally valid- arguably, he shouldn't be on the list at all.

Perfect topic for debate alright because there's never going to be an answer.

Defo have Mick Kinane in the top 5. The greatest flat jockey of all time in my opinion. Not just Ireland but in the world. Noboby not even Lester Piggot could quicken a horse like he could. Having a trainer on it is comparable to having Micko or Jack Charlton on it.